Life-Saving Treatment for Kids in Ukraine

Dear Friends,

Soon, on August 24, Ukrainians will mark the 35th anniversary of our country's independence.

For people, independence means the freedom to shape their own future.

For the children you support, it means something just as fundamental: the chance to live a full life, whatever diagnosis they face.

That is why rehabilitation, both physical and psychological, matters so much.

Let us introduce you to Nastia.

"She won’t rest until she’s finished the LEGO set," her mom says with a smile. That same determination has carried 12-year-old Nastia through the hardest year of her life.

Last autumn, persistent pain in her arm led to a devastating diagnosis. In April, surgeons removed the upper part of the bone in her right arm, and she is now completing chemotherapy.

Recovery has not been easy. Her arm was painful, and two of her fingers barely moved. That was when Nastia began working with Zaporuka's physical therapists. Step by step, she has been rebuilding strength and movement in her arm, joints and fingers. Today, she can hold light objects again and is relearning to walk with confidence.

Nastia's greatest joy came the day she picked something up with her own hand. A small movement, but it is from moments like these that life-changing victories begin.

Each new step brings Nastia closer to her dream: to live an active life and one day become a dog trainer.

Just as it does for the people of Ukraine, for Nastia, independence means being able to do more today than she could yesterday – and to keep moving toward the future she imagines.

Thank you for standing beside Nastia and many children in Ukraine.